Einstein's 'Relativity: The special and general theory'

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around Einstein's book 'Relativity: The special and general theory', focusing on its accessibility for beginners and its relevance compared to more recent literature on special and general relativity.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • One participant shares a link to a free PDF version of Einstein's book, noting its typesetting in LaTeX.
  • Another participant questions whether Einstein's book is suitable for beginners, suggesting that while it has historical significance, there may be better resources available today.
  • A different participant acknowledges advancements in pedagogy for special and general relativity and recommends several contemporary books for further reading.
  • One participant expresses appreciation for the recommended books, specifically mentioning a book by Schutz, while humorously suggesting that Einstein could have included Java programs in his work.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on the suitability of Einstein's book for beginners, with some advocating for newer resources while others appreciate the historical context of the original work.

Contextual Notes

There is an implied assumption that pedagogical approaches have evolved, but specific limitations or criteria for evaluating the effectiveness of the books mentioned are not discussed.

Sybren
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Hi everybody,

I wanted to share with you a nice version of Einstein's book 'Relativity: the special and general theory'. It is the translation of Robert Lawson, but this time typeset completely in latex by Ron Burkey. The PDF can be downloaded for free at the following link:

http://www.sandroid.org/GutenMark/wasftp.GutenMark/MarkedTexts/EinsteinRelativity.pdf

Enjoy it
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Thanks very much for the link.

Not to discount the historical significance, but is this a good book for beginners to learn from? I grant that the author has some knowledge of the subject, and his intention is to make it accessible to laymen, but have there been better books in the last 90 years?
 
Thanks for the links; the book by Schutz looks especially good. Seems like if Einstein was so smart, he could have included some Java programs in his book.
 

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